Garden Eels
Does disco dancing go on under water? Off of Egypt's Red Sea coast it sure does, and many other places around the world, where coral reefs host thousands of pale grey Garden Eels, slipping in and out of their holes when it's safe to feed, or just socialize. So popular with divers that dive sites are visited solely to observe these fascinating creatures, Garden Eels are found in the tropical Indo Pacific, from East Africa to the Red Sea to Japan.
Encounters
Approaching Garden Eel sites cautiously is essential (good visibility is a help too) because the slightest disturbance sends them down into their burrows, and it's usually many minutes before they re emerge. Lying on the sand is the best way to avoid detection; the eels will allow you to approach quite closely, even with scuba bubbles, and take a look.
Scientific Name:
Taenioconger hassi
Diet:
zooplankton
Facts:
Garden Eels construct their own burrows;
slime from their bodies cements and firms the walls from collapsing;
are dimorphic, females being small jawed and in size compared to males;
prefer warm tropical waters, from 15 to 45 meters;
never leave their holes to mate, and instead, reach over and intertwine bodies;
juveniles are entirely black;
Garden Eels weren't discovered until scuba diving was invented, and Jacques Cousteau was one of the first to see the creature's behavior up close
Scientific and Research Agencies
Smithsonian Institute http://www.si.edu/intrel/internat/central.htm#eels